[theold]

“Due to the tight (US President Joe) Biden schedule … there is a (White House) request for VP Kamala Harris for a meeting with PBBM (President Bongbong Marcos) at the APEC summit,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez told The STAR yesterday.

“It’s still for the approval of the President,” Romualdez added.

Marcos is leaving for the US today to attend the APEC Leaders’ Summit in San Francisco and to visit Los Angeles and Hawaii, where his family went into exile after the historic 1986 EDSA people power revolution.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/...iden-envoy

[grotesqueness]

Because the VP and pinoy president smell the same

[maxsanic]

“Due to the tight (US President Joe) Biden schedule … there is a (White House) request for VP Kamala Harris for a meeting with PBBM (President Bongbong Marcos) at the APEC summit,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez told The STAR yesterday.

“It’s still for the approval of the President,” Romualdez added.

Marcos is leaving for the US today to attend the APEC Leaders’ Summit in San Francisco and to visit Los Angeles and Hawaii, where his family went into exile after the historic 1986 EDSA people power revolution.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/...iden-envoy

It is likely that a comprehensive deal over a host of issues has already been struck between China and US and the Xi-Biden meeting at APEC is set to formalize it.

Unfortunately for the Philippines, she is probably one of the minor items sold as part of the package. The fact that the Biden Administration is not even willing to confirm a meeting with a largely ceremonial VP so late when the APEC meeting is about to start is further evidence of this. 

One the deal is formalized after this APEC meeting, I suspect China will be taking more concrete actions on the Philippines. This can take the form of a combination of aggressive dealing with their ships, blocking supplies to Thomas Shoal, dragging off the shipwreck or choking off food and water to the stationed soldiers, reclaiming islands close to Philippines etc.

US will continue to do the usual photo-ops exercises or make bombastic statements in support of Philippines, but tacitly acknowledge the hammering of the Philippines. Marcos's inability to manage the virulently pro-US military and political establishment really screwed the Pinoys up real bad.

[cityhantam]

VP who will probably be dropped in the coming presidential election!

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/13...for%202024.&text=Several%20columnists%20have%20an%20idea,pick%20a%20new%20running%20mate.
.

.

[theold]

The Philippines deliberately grounded the Sierra Madre there in 1999 to serve as an outpost with a detachment of a dozen or so Philippine Marines.

China, which also claims the shoal, has accused the Philippines of using the resupply missions as cover to bring in construction materials to strengthen and expand the outpost there.

https://news.usni.org/2023/10/22/china-c...%20Marines.